Golden Age
by D.D. Heal
Summary: While on guard duty onboard a space station. Ben and the gang made a discovery that would lead to a return of a living legend from the Second World War. It doesn't take long for the terrorist organisation the Third Eye to discover this and adventure awaits them.
1. Chapter 1

One

A Living Legend

The fight between Eon and Khyber intensifies with each blow delivered. "Why are you doing this?" Khyber said.

"Let's just say my benefactor will be displeased if you or any of your masters kill Ben Tennyson." Just like that, Eon does a sneak attack on Khyber by opening a time portal. Pushing Khyber through and closing the portal. "That was easy," Eon said.

A helicopter flies and a squad of soldiers drop in. "Hold it right there, Eon. You're surrounded. Put your hands where I can see them!" the squad leader said.

"As you wish." Eon singlehandedly defeats the soldiers using his powers and leaves the leader standing. "Did you really it would be that easy? I am Eon, Master of Time and Space and you tell what to do. For that, I'll take your life," he said.

A bright light appears and I arrived at the scene and I recognise Eon. "Eon, I should've known. How was it you survived?" I said.

"You must be the Sorcerer Mage. Hmm, I thought you would be a bit older. Then again, this is a parallel Earth, anything is possible," he said.

They engage in a fight and it was deadlocked. "Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Why? I'm doing this for omnipotence," he answered.

Dr. Nexus then stands down. "You were trying to recreate the God complex," I asked.

"Indeed, my last encounter with Ben, your sister and her boyfriend injured me, but not broken. In time, I escaped with the help of an individual, not only did he restore my power, but he gave me power to travel between multiverses," Eon said.

Dr. Nexus was shocked to this. "How is this possible? Who is this individual?" I asked.

"All in due time." Eon opens a portal. "All in due time," he said.

He walks through the portal and it closes after he walks through, leaving Dr. Nexus with more questions than answers. A few months passed, onboard a space station orbiting the sun. Ben and Rook are on guard duty watching over a presentation. "I can't believe I ended up on guard duty to a bunch of politicians and rich people," Ben whispered.

"You should've checked first to see if that was the Galvan diplomat's car," Rook whispered.

"It's wasn't my fault. If that had got out of the way, you and I wouldn't end up in a disciplinary hearing, followed by a short stint of guard duty. Plus, do I have to wear my dress blues?" he whispered.

"It's standard for high end events such as this. The presentation is about to start," Rook whispered.

The host walks onto the podium. "Ahem, ladies and gentlemen of the intergalactic community. I welcome you to the opening the Halo Rises space station. The purpose of the station is to study and investigate the sun, our brightest star in the galaxy. For years, our scientists have theorised that the sun will one day die out. Leaving with us with a potential crisis. That's why we commissioned this station with the help of Mason Enterprises. Please welcome, Mr. Trent Mason," he said.

Trent then walks onto the podium as the host leaves. "Vandal Empire scum," Rook whispered.

"Watch your tone; I fought with Mason during the Dark God incident. Show some respect will you," Ben whispered.

"For years, both my father and my grandfather have dreamt of reaching for the stars. And it's also my dream, which was accomplished through unconventional means. This station is a unique collaboration with Earth and the intergalactic community. So, I here by decree this station to be opened," Trent said.

Everyone applauded and they scattered throughout the station. Trent walks up to Ben and Rook. "You're looking good, Mr. Mason," Ben said.

"Please, call me Trent. So the rumours are true, you have gotten yourself a new partner," he said.

"Keep your hands off me," Rook said.

"I understand your hatred for the Vandal Empire, but I'm not the bad guy." We walked up to the viewing window. "I heard about Carter and I'm sorry. I wished I could've been there to help. But I was caught up in a power struggle between myself and the former CEO of my company," he said.

"You had your reasons. Have you heard from the others?" Ben asked.

"There was a skirmish a few months back on Rex's world, but it's been taken care of. The Consortium, plus a few villains from his world are added to the Threat List," he answered.

"Really, having Rook has my partner hasn't been a walk in the park, but we get along sometimes," Ben said.

"Glad to hear, you two should come up to the Centurion sometime. There's this great view of Earth," he said.

"Working on another space station?" Ben asked.

"Not exactly, refurbishing is more of the term. I bought the station off the Plumber Corp and began reconverting to serve the needs of Guardians," he answered.

"A few months, we were bunch of heroes with no purpose, fighting our own battles. All it took was a Dark God threat to unite us," Ben said.

"Indeed," he said.

One of the station's scientists rushes up to Trent. "Mr. Mason, Mr. Mason," she said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We picked up a life signature on the instruments," she answered.

"It could be an escape pod," Ben said.

"If it is, we need to help them," Rook said.

We head over to the control centre. We looked at the monitor to find an image of a meteor of sort. "It doesn't look like an escape pod. Can you enhance the image?" Trent asked.

"We tried, but the light is bouncing off the meteor and into our cameras," she answered.

"I rather not risk using the Omnitrix to go out there," Ben said.

"I should go." Trent uses the Mighty Rider morpher to transform into the Mighty Rider. "Phoebe, are you online?" he asked.

"I'm online, the new and improved Mighty Rider suit is working to capacity," she said.

"Wow, nice suit," Ben said.

"Thanks, after we defeated the Dark Gods. I headed back to the lab; I redesigned and upgraded the suit. I'm going to see what's out there," he said.

"Oxygen filters are ready," Phoebe said.

"Oh, that's Phoebe; she's the suit's onboard artificial intelligence and my personal artificial intelligence. We should stay in contact," he said.

The Mighty Rider heads to the cargo bay and he leaves the station. He flew over to the meteor. "How does it look?" Ben asked over the radio.

"Works like a dream. The meteor appears to be crystal or some compound of a similar nature," the Mighty Rider answered.

"That explains why it blinded everyone here. What I don't get is, why is it picking up a life reading?" The Rider flies in close and is stunned to learn whose inside. "Trent, are you okay?" Ben asked.

"I don't believe it, it's Solaris and according to my readings, she's alive," he answered. He grabs the meteor and flies back to the station. Sometime later, we were in the cargo bay, the technicians then get to work break the crystal apart as we arrived.

"Now that's a find," Ben said.

"From the sounds of it, I say you know her, who is she?" Rook asked.

"I know her only by reputation. My grandfather was the only person in my family to meet her. Her real name is Sylvia Masterson," Trent answered.

"Wait, that name sounds familiar. It can't be, she's Solaris, the Sunny Knight," Ben said.

"Correct, she was a member of the Mystery Men, the world's first superhero team who fought both the Axis and the Japanese Empire during the Second World War," Trent said.

Rook then realises something. "Wait, if she's been in suspended animation. That mean she's a hundred years old," Rook said.

"Chronologically yes, but biologically she's still got the body of a twenty two or twenty three year old woman. We need to get a shuttle prepared, she needs medical attention," Trent said.

"I'll get the shuttle prepared, be sure to get the body onboard," Ben said.

Meanwhile in Washington D.C, I was in curator's office of the Smithsonian Institute, attending a interview for internship at the museum. "I'm surprised you want to intern at the Smithsonian Institute, Mr?" the curator asked.

"Ken Tennyson," I answered.

"Hmm, the surname does ring a bell. Have I seen you in the papers recently?" he asked.

"You might've seen my sister and cousin on the news," I answered.

"Of course, Ben Tennyson and Gwen Tennyson, how could I forget? I'm Walter Seeley, curator to the Smithsonian Institute. Now where is it you want to intern, Mr. Tennyson?" he asked.

"The Aerospace division," I answered.

"There are one or two spots left, but I have a better idea. Walk with me." We left the Castle and we made our way over to the main museum. "For some time, the Institute has been paying close attention to your family's exploits and the recent events, including the Dark God incident." We entered the museum and headed over to a wing. "In 1992, on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of the Mystery Men's formation. The American Hero Society approached us to hold a exhibition, honouring our heroes. We complied and the exhibition is a success. Twenty years later and we thought it's time for a face lift. So here we, refurbishing and refitting our American Hero Exhibition to honour not only your family's exploits, but also the Guardians," Walter said.

"I don't know what to say, Mr. Seeley," I said.

"You're flattered, I know. You won't be working alone, you'll be working with our resident expert, Dr. Alan Diggle, he'll explain everything about the exhibition," he said.

Dr. Alan Diggle arrives just as Walter leaves. "You must be the new intern; I'm surprised given that no one has ever shown an interest in American superheroes. There's some things you need to know, right now we're cataloguing every piece from the exhibition. Including the weapons and various items the Mystery Men have collected over the years during their time as a team. Don't worry, the weapons are deactivated and are offline," Alan said.

"You're from England, aren't you?" I asked.

"I was originally from Northampton and I emigrated to D.C. in 1985. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?" he asked.

"I'm Ken Tennyson," I answered.

"Well, nice to meet you. Come, we got work to do," he said. Onboard a shuttle heading towards Earth, a doctor inspects Solaris, who is in a comatose.

Trent enters the room. "Tell us some good news, doc?" Trent asked.

"Her vitals are stable. I'm surprised she survived this long in outer space and without any oxygen," the doctor said.

Ben and Rook enter the room. "We entering Earth's orbit. How was it she survived this long?" Ben asked.

"I might have an idea, but I need to dig through my grandfather's files to learn more," he answered.

Solaris then wakes up to find herself onboard a shuttle and it startled by what she sees. She takes the doctor hostage. "Who are you people?" she asks.

"Let's take it easy, Sylvia," Trent said.

"I should've known, you lot are with the Third Eye," she said.

She releases the doctor, flies out of the back and escapes. "That could've gone better," Rook yelled.

"Now there's another problem, Solaris could be anywhere in the country." Trent looks out the hole and notices something. "There, she's just made landfall in Washington D.C," he said. He uses the morpher to morph into the Mighty Rider.

"So what's the plan? I doubt she'll cooperate," Ben said.

"There's no telling what damage she could cause. The plan is simple; contain her until she calms down. Are you coming or not, Tennyson?" he asked.

Ben uses the Omnitrix to change into Jetray. "Let's do this," Ben said. They jumped out of the shuttle and flew down to where Solaris made landfall. They arrived to a find a crater in the city centre.

"She's not that far," Mighty Rider said.

"You got that right, mister." Solaris flies in, punches the Mighty Rider in the chest and it sends him knocking to the ground. "I don't know what you lot did to the nation's capital. But I will liberate it," she said.

"Whoa, did you hear that? She thinks the U.S is invaded by the Third Eye," Ben said.

The Mighty Rider then gets up. "She's delirious; the time she spent in suspended animation must've damaged her mind. She's thinks this is 1944," he said.

"I don't care what year it is until all of Third Eye is destroyed," she said.

They resumed fighting. Back at the Smithsonian, I was cataloguing item when the spirit of David Nelson Robinson arrives. "It's been years since I last saw these items," he said.

"I take you were acquainted with some of the items?" I asked.

"Yes, remember when I told you about my life story. Well, you didn't hear about my adventures with the Mystery Men. Back then, those were dark times, we were the light to light up everyone's hopes. Atomic Tom, Shrinking Victor, Dr. Britain, Canada Woman, I and Solaris were the ones keeping the world safe. We suffered losses, but victory came. The loss of Solaris came as a shock not to me, but the entire team. She sacrificed her life to save the world. Eventually, we moved on," David answered.

He vanishes into the thin air; one of the interns comes rushing into the room. "Guys, you not going to believe, but there's a battle going in the city centre. Ben 10 and Mighty Rider are battling some hot chick in a leotard," he said.

I left the building, summoned the helm of Nexus, I put it on and I transformed into Dr. Nexus. I flew over to where the fight is. The Omnitrix times out as things got worse. "Great, can this get any worse?" I then arrived at the scene. "Now we're talking. You're in some much trouble now," Ben said.

Solaris then recognises the uniform. "David, is that you?" she asked.

"I don't who you are, but this ends right now," I said.

"Wait you're not David. You're going to pay for David's murder," she said.

She attacks me, but I dodge them. "She's a skilled fighter. I got an idea to calm her down," I said.

I then used a teleportation spell to her and myself to the Mystery Men Memorial. She calms down and looks at the memorial. "Where am I?" she asked.

"The Mystery Men Memorial, first commissioned in 1992 on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of team's formation. It was unveiled in 1995 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of end of the Second World War. You've been gone away for a long time, Sylvia. Welcome home," I said.

She then faints to the ground as the others arrive. A few hours later in a mansion in New York, we arrived to find contractors working around the house.

"Rook, take her to the medical bay. Take the elevator down one floor and take the second left. It should lead into the med bay," Trent said.

Rook carries Sylvia down the med bay, while we stayed behind. "I like your house," Ben said.

"It's not mine, it given to us from the people of New York as a thank you present for saving the multiverse. The house you're standing has a lot of the history. This was once the headquarters to the Mystery Men. When the team disbanded after the Second World War, the house fell into decay," Trent answered.

We walked into the meeting room. "I find it hard to believe we're standing on history," I said.

"It takes getting use to. Since then, the contractors have been busy restoring the house to its former glory," he said.

"And adding new sections," Ben said.

"Indeed," he said.

"Who is this mystery woman?" I asked.

"Her name is Sylvia Masterson, otherwise known as Solaris," Ben answered.

"Wait, the Solaris, the Sunny Knight and the Mystery Men member. Shouldn't she be at least ninety years old?" I asked.

"She would've, but biologically she's still twenty three years old," Ben answered.

"How is this possible?" I asked.

"Phoebe, tell us you got something new?" Trent asked.

"I've analysed the substance she was encased in. It's a composite of her powers and the substance that was used in Project Frozen," Phoebe answered.

"Project Frozen?" I asked.

"From what my grandfather told me, it was a Nazi project to freeze the entire eastern seaboard. But the Mystery Men put a stop to that, at a cost. Solaris intercepted the rocket and she sent the rocket, along with herself to out of space," Trent answered.

"I've been through Mile's files and he was correct. Project Frozen was a failure from the beginning because it lacked a catalyst to kick-start the chemical reaction. Her powers must've acted as a catalyst when the rocket detonated. Thus encasing her in a crystal substance," Phoebe said.

"Hey, this is Rook here. Sylvia is sleeping for now. I'm heading back up," Rook said over the intercom.

"Now she's resting, where do we go from here?" Ben asked.

A Special Projects enters the room. "I apologise for barging in. I'm Matt Shooter, head of the Special Projects New York office. Quite a find you three have discovered. I've debriefed Eli on the situation and he is surprised just as you lot are. As a recommendation, I would keep her in quarantine until she's safe to come out," Matt said.

"I just had a thought, given that a hundred people saw what's happened in D.C. Who's to say the entire world has," I said.

Over in a prison in Scotland, a prisoner watches the news from his cell and he is surprised to see Solaris alive. "So, she did survive," he said to himself.

"Hey, would mind keeping it down, Lord Zero," a guard said.

"All right and I thought Scottish guards are suppose to be cheerful." A explosion ripped half his cell wide open. A woman and a couple of soldiers enter the room. "Velma Von Kline, I was wondering where you were going to show. Where's Siegfried?" he asked.

"He had work to do in the lab, but he does send his regards," she answered.

They left the room and headed into the courtyard. A squad of Special Projects tried to stop them, but they were defeat and they escaped. Sometime later in an undisclosed location, they arrived in a lab to meet up with Siegfried.

"I apologise for not being there. I had work to do," Siegfried said.

"All is forgiven, Siegfried. Have you heard the news?" he asked.

"I knew Heinz's formula had a number of flaws, but it looks like Solaris's power acted like a catalyst," Siegfried replied.

"I know, but first," he said.

Lord Zero lies down on the operating table; Siegfried turns a machine that runs a beam across him. "It's a good thing you came when you did. Otherwise you would've been dead already. Getting the Mark II Ultitrons online hasn't been an easy task due to their outdated technology. Fortunately, I've found a way around it," Siegfried said.

"Not only that, but Third Eye is fully armed and ready as your disposal, my Lord," Velma said.

He gets off the table. "We're making progress. Our time has come to take the world and show every hero that Third Eye is superior. Solaris has made some powerful allies, we need to dispose of them first," he said.

"I have a solution." Siegfried shows them a robot. "Remember Adaptation, the android that can mimic any superpower. Well, I made some upgrades and it'll do the job," Siegfried said.

Morning came as Sylvia wakes up. "What happened?" she wondered.

I then enter the room. "Morning, I'm Ken Tennyson, we've met the other day," I answered.

She then remembers. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry for what has happened. How long have I been out?" she asked.

"You've been out of action for seventy years or so. The good news is we've the war, mostly," I answered.

"Mostly?" Sylva asked.

"The Third Eye is still out there, but they've been out of action for ten years. I know it's a lot to take in, seeing this," I said.

"It is," she said.

"Here." I placed some clothes on the table. "I brought you some clothes. They belonged to an ex-girlfriend of mine. They should fit. I'll be outside if you need anything," I said.

I left the room and wait for Sylvia to get dressed, David Nelson Robinson then visits me. "I find it hard to believe she's still alive. It looks like both Tom and Miles were right," David said.

"About what?" I asked.

"About the rocket, the chemical didn't have a catalyst. So Tom and Miles theorised that Sylvia's powers must've started a chemical reaction when the rocket exploded," he answered.

"It's hard to believe to see her alive," I said.

"My only regret is that I wasn't able to see her. During our time together as Mystery Men, it was Sylvia who introduced me to my future wife, Marie. Her 'death' affected all of us, but our friendship remained until each member of the Mystery Men passed away. Do me a favour and tell her I said hello," he said.

He vanishes into thin air just as Sylvia leaves the ward. "Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"I was talking to David Nelson Robinson. He says hello," I answered.

"Oh, where is he?" she asked.

"He didn't make it. He passed away some time ago in order to buy this world more time to prevent the Merciful Fate from taking over. In the end, I became the next Sorcerer Mage," I said.

"I'm sorry; he was a good friend and a good man. I like to know what happened to my teammates after the war ended," she said.

"I'll happy to tell you along the way. Fancy a tour around New York. After all, you were born in Brooklyn, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, plus I really like to get out. Being in a hospital bed isn't relaxing." We head up to the floor, Sylvia realises where she is. "Wow, we're back in the mansion. I don't believe it," she said.

"The mansion has been decay for a number of decades. It's being restored to its former glory, along with the artwork," I said.

"I don't know what to say," she said.

"You'll get to see the mansion once it's restored. Are you ready?" I asked.

"Are you sure? Those guards won't let anyone out," she said.

"I'm a quick study, I learned all of the essential spells, even without the helm," I said.

We head down to the exit. "Sorry to disappoint, but she should remain here until she's cleared to leave," the guard said.

Ken waves his hand around his face as he uses a mind trick. "She's been cleared. We can move along," I said.

"Move along, move long," the guard said.

We left the mansion and head out onto the street. Sylvia is surprised to learn that New York has changed. "Wow," she said.

"Wow indeed. Should we start in Brooklyn?" We took the subway to Brooklyn and we arrived in Brooklyn. "Here we are," I said.

"My old neighbourhood, come on, my childhood home is nearby." We walked over to where she grew up. "I was born in that apartment building right there on March 22nd 1922. I was the eldest of three siblings. My brother Trevor was the genius in the family. He said his first word when he was one, graduate from high school at the age of the eight and graduate from college at the age of twelve. My folks were proud of him," Sylvia said.

"It's obvious your brother was a genius, what about you?" I asked.

"Before I became a hero, I was a nightclub singer. Singing in venues in all of the five boroughs, sometimes in New Jersey if I get lucky," she answered.

"How did you become Solaris?" I asked.

"Trevor was working on Project Alpha, the government's first attempt to create a high impact energy weapon. It didn't take the Third Eye long to figure what they were up to. They sent an assassin to assassinate my brother. I was in the room where the experiment was taking place. I pushed my brother out of harm's way when the bullet hit the console. It malfunctioned and I ended up absorbing the energy from the Sun Stone as they put it. I was in the hospital for three weeks and that's when my life changed forever. My powers first manifested and it wasn't long before my true calling came knocking," she answered.

"You became a hero; you were recruited into the Mystery Men. Why did you name yourself Solaris?" I asked.

"I saw your predecessor used a Solaris spell to repel darkness from a man's soul. I like the word, but I was hesitant to name myself Solaris given it was probably trademarked, but he approved. The war years were tough and I assume you know the rest. I shouldn't be here, in the future," she answered.

"I understand, being asleep for a long time isn't easy. Its like being trapped in a infinite dream, were the monsters come to get you, no matter what," I said.

"From the sound of your voice, I say you fought a lot of tough battles," she said.

"I have, before I became the Sorcerer Mage. I was a victim to a alien parasite. It took control of me, it made do things. Things I'm not proud of, it made me hurt my grandfather and worst, it made me hurt my sister. After it was over, I began to have nightmares, knowing I did terrible while under its control," I said.

"It wasn't your fault; David wouldn't pick you to become Dr. Nexus if you were scared." We turned and looked across the street. "Well I'll be. Sal's Pizzeria is still there. I used to eat there regularly and I'm glad it's still in business,"

"It's about to open up. It's not even lunchtime," I said.

"I don't know, what time is it?" she asked.

"It's 11:25," I answered.

"Well, we could always go for a early lunch," she said.

"If you insist," I said.

We entered the restaurant. Back at the mansion, Matt scolded the two guards as they resumed their duties. Ben and Trent arrived at the scene. "I don't what's the worse, the fact Sylvia has escaped or the fact your cousin used a Jedi mind trick to trick these two guards into letting them leave," Matt said.

"I know Ken, he must be doing this for a good reason," Ben said.

"A good reason? He's just let a living and walking weapon escape," he said.

"First of, she's an American hero and second, she's a person, not a it," Trent said.

"Think what you will. I've just spoken to Eli and the rest of the politicians. They're considering putting her back in ice. You saw the damage she caused in D.C. There's no telling what her powers can do next. We better find her and bring her back here before something bad happens," Matt said.

Back at the restaurant, we had an early lunch when Sylvia recognises the owner. "Sal, is that you?" she asked.

The owner heads over to us. "I don't believe it." He sat down. "I haven't seen you since 1945, it was before your 'death'. I even attended the funeral, your brother and sister were saddened. We eventually moved on with our lives. My papa died in 1961, leaving this restaurant to me and my family. I'm Mel," he said.

"Oh course, Mel, how could I forget," she said.

"She used to be a regular here. How come is it you still alive?" he asked.

"We got some good ideas about that. Right now, I'm just bringing her up to speed and refreshing her memory," I answered.

"I see, I'll be right back, I got something to show you." Mel leaves the table, heads upstairs and then comes back down and sits at the table and he places a box on the table. "After you died, Atomic Tom and Dr. Britain gave some of your souvenirs and trinkets as a memento for the all the times you spent here," he said.

Sylvia rummages through the box and finds a book. "Well I'll be. I haven't seen this since the Wrath Mission. It's my old scrapbook, I kept photos and newspaper articles of my war adventures," she said.

She opened it up and I was wowed by the content. "This is amazing," I said.

"I know, those were the days back then. Now, the world has changed. Can I keep this?" she asked.

"Of course," he answered.

She puts the book in her handbag. "Do you know what happened to my teammates after the war ended?" she asked.

"The Mystery Men stayed together until 1949. After that, they split up and moved on. Dr. Britain returned to England and took up a job as a consultant for MI6. Canada Woman married an American and she eventually became a U.S citizen. She worked as a kindergarten teacher. Shrinking Victor became a college lecturer. Atomic Tom took up Miles Mason's job offer and worked for Mason Enterprises right up to his death in 1977. Dr. Nexus tried to settle down, but tragedy struck every now and then. He eventually married Marie, but she was murdered at the hands of John Dee. Tragic stuff," Mel answered.

"Everyone moved on, but David had the worst of it. I'm glad everyone lived peacefully. Thank you," she said.

We left the restaurant and carried on exploring the city. Little did we know we were being watched from above by Adaptation. "Target has been sighted. Sylvia Masterson, known as Solaris has been sighted. She's with another target, identity unknown," it said.

"Keep monitoring their progress. When the time is right, eliminate them both," Lord Zero said over the communication link.

"Affirmative, Lord Zero," it said. It left the scene and it began to follow them.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Rebirth

Hours passed and we were in Central Park, exploring the area and taking out time. "It's good to know that Central Park hasn't changed much," Sylvia said.

"Well, there have been some additions here and there, but nothing to worry about," I said.

"I'm glad to hear it, Ken. This had been the best day I had in a long time. I want to thank you," she said.

"Thanks is not necessary. I'm glad you're just happy, that's all," I said.

"Seeing the future for the first time makes me feel like I'm in a Buck Rogers story," she said.

"No way, you're a fan of Buck Rogers, so am I. I remember my dad reading to me all sorts of Buck Rogers stories when I was young. It drove my mom crazy, but she was happy if I am happy," I said.

"I guess we got something in common, Ken. You got to know about me, now I like to learn a bit more about you," she said.

"You already know how I became a victim to an alien parasite. So that's fair, my father is a lawyer. Throughout my childhood, we moved to one location to another because my father made a lot of enemies. When I was young, I was involved in a bus crash; it killed the bus driver, a teaching assistant and a few of my classmates. I was in coma for three weeks. It's was of a few incidents that changed my life," I said.

"Hmm, it's ironic really, tragedy has changed us and its tragedy that has moulded us into who we are," she said.

She then holds my hand, I was blushing. "Aren't we going overboard here?" I asked.

She notices and let's go of my hand. "Oh sorry, I gotten ahead, haven't I? We better head back before your superiors have a go at you and me for leaving the mansion." She then notices the expression on my face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"We're alone, we've been followed," I said.

I summoned the helm, put it on and transformed into Dr. Nexus. "By whom?" she asked.

"Someone who isn't human." I quickly turned, I fired an energy blast and Adaptation deflects it. "An android?" I said.

"Not just any android. It's Adaptation," she said.

"Adaptation?" I asked.

"It's a Third Eye android designed to kill and it does this by mimicking the powers of known super humans," she answered.

"Mimicking powers, mimicking Gwen Tennyson," it said.

"Oh boy," I sighed.

It opened fire on us and we got to cover. "Adaptation is mimicking Gwen's powers. It better not mimic her mannerisms," I said.

"We need a plan." Sylvia takes a quick look at Adaptation. "The good news is the design hasn't changed much over the years. It has the same weak points as that of a human being. If we attack at the right time, we can defeat Adaptation before it mimics another set of powers," she said.

"You hit them high, I hit them low," I said.

We went for the attack; we used our combined power to defeat Adaptation. The android exploded after Sylvia delivered the final blow. "Wow, man it feels good. I haven't done that in ages," Sylvia said.

"You did great. We better head back before we attract any unwanted attention." A squad of Special Projects agents and Matt Shooter arrived and they surrounded us. "Well, that neatly timed," I said.

"You my friend are in so much trouble." Sometime later, we were back at the mansion. The agents escorted Sylvia to her room. "I don't know what you were thinking. You nearly put the city and maybe the country at risk," Matt said.

"I told you it would be a matter of time before someone catches on. So don't put the blame on me for that. Yes I did break her out of quarantine. I wanted to help her put her life back together," I said.

"I understand where you coming from. With the Third Eye still out there, she'll always remain in danger. While you were out, having your daytrip, we've made a decision about her future," Trent said.

I then assumed the worst. "You're putting her in cryo sleep again. She's a person, not a thing. Can't believe you're agreeing to this," I said.

I teleported myself out of the building. "Nice going, Trent. Ken, wait." Ben tries to find me, but he does fine me eventually in the library. "It's not like that," Ben said.

"Then what is. Sure I messed up, but we had a good time. We visited the places that meant a lot of her and that's about it," I said.

Ben then figures something out. "Wait, you have got to be kidding me? Don't tell me you're in love with her?" he asked.

"Come again?" I asked.

"I knew it. Good grief, Ken, your nineteen years old and she's ninety years old," Ben answered.

"Don't you think I know that? What difference does make it? Ever since I became the Sorcerer Mage, things haven't been easy. The world was almost destroyed and I'm struggling to juggle my studies with my super heroic duties," I said.

"Hey, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. As I was saying," he said.

An agent then bursts into the library. "We got a problem, Sylvia has escaped," the agent said.

"She must've overheard our conversation. You better mount a search party, I won't be far behind," I said.

I then teleported myself out of the building and into the city. Sylvia cries hard because of a broken heart. She realises she's being followed. "Oh, poor soul. So alone in the Big Apple," a woman said.

"Velma, I should've known. I take it your buddies aren't far behind," she said.

"Far from it," a voice said.

Lord Zero then comes out of the shadows. "Lord Zero? How is it you're still alive?" she asked.

"Death means nothing to the Third Eye. However, revenge is," he said.

He attacks her and she counters it. "The war is over. Revenge won't solve any of our old wounds. Besides, I got nothing left," she said.

"Oh I agree." He gets a blaster out, he sets it to stun and he stuns. It renders Sylvia unconscious. "Take her to the airship and tell Siegfried to start the attack," Lord Zero said.

At the mansion, Dr. Nexus returns to the meeting room. "Any luck?" Trent asked.

"I've checked her old haunts and she's not there. This is all my fault," I answered.

"We're to blame her. We should've told you," Ben said.

"Like the fact that Sylvia will put back into stasis," I said.

"Will you listen? It was Matt's idea to put her into stasis, not ours. We took a vote and we decided she should be allowed to lead a normal life," Ben said.

"You mean she's not going back to sleep. I'm relieved, we just need to find her and it'll be," I said.

Matt bursts in. "You might want to turn the TV on," he said.

Trent turns the TV on to find Lord Zero on the screen. "Well, look whose back," Trent said.

"I apologise for the long absence, given that the U.S. and the U.K. government kept me prisoner on a Scottish island. I'm Sebastian Grayson, otherwise known as Lord Zero and you can call Master. In the next few hours, the Ultitrons will invade the U.S. and the Third Eye will become new rulers. Here's a message to the Guardians, don't try anything because we got ourselves a hostage." The camera pans to the right as we see Sylvia on the screen. "Some of your might not recognise her because she was around when the Second World War broke out. Her name is Sylvia Masterson, also known as Solaris. Poor girl, broken and betrayed by the people she thought she trusted. She's lost everything that meant something to her. Have a nice evening," he said.

The footage ends. "He wasn't kidding, radar picked up a hundred signals heading this way. We began a city wide evacuation, but it's taking longer than I thought," Matt said.

I then left the room and I cried. "What've I done? I've sold the world to Lord Zero," I said.

David then appears. "Giving up already? Back in my day, we would never give up. I know you never asked for any of this, but you managed to put up with it. That makes you a hero in my book. It's true what Sebastian has said, but you're the good thing she has. All of the other Mystery Men have approved and we're proud of you. Now go out there and rescue her, she needs a hero," David said.

He then vanishes and I entered the room. "We're after them. Ben, Trent, buy the people some time. I'm going to find them," I said.

"Whoa, whoa, this isn't the Alamo. We don't even know where they are," Matt said.

"He's right, you could be walking into a trap," Trent said.

Another agent bursts in. "Sir, we got another reading on radar. It's an airship," she said.

"That must be where they're keeping her," Matt said.

"Ben and I will buy the New Yorkers some time to evacuate. Ken will go up there and rescue the damsel," Trent said.

"Thank you," I said. We rushed out of the building and head in separate directions. Onboard the airship, Sylvia wakes up to find herself captive and tied up.

"I see our guest has awakened. Good because I want you to see your beloved city burn," Lord Zero said.

"Why are you doing this? These people don't deserve this. This is between you and me, not them," Sylvia said.

"Technically you are correct, but why should it. Even though the Mystery Men are long gone, you're still the only surviving member. You're all alone and there's no one coming to rescue you," he said.

"Mein Fuhrer, we got something heading towards us. It's Dr. Nexus," the pilot said.

"No doubt he's coming here to rescue you. Blast him out of the sky," Lord Zero ordered.

The pilot opens fire on Dr. Nexus, blasting him out of the sky. "NO! You butcher, he didn't deserve that," Sylvia cried.

She cries. "Save those tears for your execution because you'll be joining him in a few minutes," he said.

I teleported onto the bridge and Sylvia is relieved to see me alive. "You're all right," she said.

"This ends here and now, Lord Zero," I said.

"I see you learned some of predecessor's old tricks. But you're still a boy wearing a old man's helmet," he said.

"Maybe I am, but I'm not leaving without Sylvia," I said.

"Such a bold promise, but can you survive my henchmen and Velma." Velma and a squad of Third Eye surrounded me. "Tear him apart," he ordered.

We fought. Back on the ground, Ben, the Mighty Rider and Rook were fighting the Ultitrons and Third Eye soldiers. Ben changes into Stinkfly and attacks the Ultitrons "This is just like New York all over again. But this time it's on our Earth," Ben said.

"Was it really bad?" Rook asked.

"Oh yeah, it was. On a apocalyptic scale," Ben answered.

"Phoebe, scan and analyse the Ultitrons," the Mighty Rider ordered.

"There's a signal being broadcast into the Ultitrons. It's coming from the airship," she said.

"Of course, Siegfried Hertz, I should've recognised his handiwork," he said.

"You know Siegfried?" Ben asked.

"I've studied some of his work. They have one flaw; his encryption can be easily cracked. I got an idea. To do that, I need a couple of things. Ben, have you got a alien that has a I.Q of over a hundred and sixty?" he asked.

Ben then changes into Gray Matter. "You had to ask," Ben answered.

The Mighty Rider transform into a jet. "Hop on, we're taking a trip to Mason Tower," he said.

They flew over to the tower. Back onboard the airship; I defeated Velma and the henchmen. "I'm impressed you made this far, boy." I then drew out a sword. "It would seem you know me too well. I will grant you this request because I still have respect for your predecessors," Lord Zero said.

He gets his sword out and we engaged in a sword fight. "David told me everything about you. About you betraying your native country England for a Nazi cause, why?" I asked.

"I believe in a simple cause. The strong must survive, while the weak shall be perished," he answered.

"I also heard how your family disowned you. You were the son of a prominent politician," I said.

"My father didn't understand the Nazi cause. He thought it was some fascist regime bend on world domination. What he said was true, true enough to inspire me to join the Nazi party and founded the Third Eye," he said.

He kicks across the room as he removes my sword. "You could've become so much more and yet. You waste it on a simple ideal. It's like what Sylvia has said. The war is over," I said.

"Why should you care? I know everything about you, Ken Tennyson. I suspected as much for a while. You're the brother to one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, while her boyfriend is some criminal chasing for his next scam," he said.

"Keep Gwen, Kevin and my family out of this. This is between you and me. No one else," I said.

"You're so wrong." He then stabs me in the chest. "So wrong indeed," Lord Zero said.

I collapsed onto the floor, bleeding and Sylvia then begins to cry. "Oh no, not you Ken." It was enough to get her angry and escape her binds. "You're going to pay for that, Lord Zero," Sylvia said.

"Yes, this is more like it. I will have my revenge," he said.

He goes in for the attack; she deflects by firing a energy blast from her hands. It sends him flying through the window. I get up and tends to me. "Hey, hey, take it easy. You're wounded," she said.

"It's just a flesh wound," I said.

"Liar." I used a teleportation spell to send the goons and Velma to a nearby police station. "Where did you send them?" she asked.

"To a nearby NYPD station. We need to get off this ship and stop the Ultitrons before it's too late," I said.

"Alert, all of the escape pods have been jettisoned," the onboard computer said.

"That's not good," she said.

"Come on," I said. Over at Mason Tower, Ben and the Mighty Rider were reconfiguring the satellite dish.

"Remind me what is it you're planning to do?" Ben asked.

"By reconfiguring the dish, I should be able to broadcast an autodestruct sequence for the Ultitrons. Thus destroying them and saving the city. How are we doing, Phoebe?" the Mighty Rider asked.

"All of the modifications are complete. There's a concern that the signal will cause the airship to self destruct," Phoebe answered.

Ben then changes back to normal. "We must delay," Ben said.

"We can't, broadcast the signal," he ordered.

They broadcasted the signal, causing all of the Ultitrons in the New York area to autodestruct. They see the airship blown up. "Oh man," Ben said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Your cousin would've been proud and I hope Sylvia will find peace in the afterlife," he said.

"You better not arrange our funerals!" I yelled.

We landed on the rooftop. "You're alive," Ben said.

"Yep we are, we made off the ship before it blew up," Sylvia said.

"Where's Lord Zero?" the Mighty Rider asked.

"Unknown and the same can be said for Siegfried. Velma is in custody," she answered.

"Let's take a moment to enjoy this," Ben suggested.

A day later at the mansion, Trent is speaking to Gen. Eli Jamieson Moss on the big screen. "My agents are rounding every Third Eye goon left in the city. You and your team did good, Mason," Eli said.

"We did have some help. Is it true what Ken said about Eon returning?" Trent asked.

"I won't lie to you, but we did have him in custody for a while, but he escaped during the invasion. His current whereabouts are unknown. Whatever Eon's planning, it can't be good. Eli out," he answered.

Trent turns the screen off as Ben enters. "I find it hard to believe Eon is still out there. I thought for sure we'd taken care of him," Ben said.

"That's the problem with tyrants, they always come back." I then enters the room. "Ken, I'm glad you can make it. I'd wished the first official meeting of the Guardians wasn't this informal," Trent said.

"I understand," I said.

"I've debriefed the other Guardians about the events unfolded and it's time to get down to business. Ben, I and the rest of the Guardians have been discussing Sylvia's fate. Of course they were surprised about her survival. We're thinking about making her a official member of the Guardians," Trent said.

"I don't know what to say," I said.

"She's proven herself, not only did she save your life, but the world," Ben said.

"Ask her and give her this," Trent said.

He gives me a case, which I accepted. I left the room and headed down into the lobby. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, Ken. There's no doubt you want back in a block of ice?" Sylvia asked.

"Not exactly, you should deserve a normal life. After all, you are a human being," I answered.

"One with super powers, remember," she said.

"Here." I give her the case. "I don't what's inside," I said.

She opens it up and is amazed by the contents. "I don't believe it, it's my old costume. But how?" she asked.

Trent and Ben arrived. "Your outfit was in pretty bad condition. So I spent some hours modify your costume and added new features to it. The suit can now absorb solar rays, giving your energy blasts a much added boost," Trent answered.

"Thank you," she said.

"That's not all, we would like to invite you to become a member of the Guardians," I said.

She is surprised to hear what I said. "I don't what to say. I'm speechless," she said.

"You're not alone; there are other heroes out there on Earth, the galaxy and the multiverse defending people and guarding the peace between worlds and parallel Earths," Trent said.

"Yes, I'll accept," she said in delight.

"Good have you onboard," Trent said.

She leaves the house and I decided not to follow her. Ben notices this. "Can you give us a minute?" Trent heads down to the basement. "I can't believe you're not following her," Ben said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You love her, don't you?" he asked.

"I do, but I thought about it. And I realised that dating a superhero is not a great idea," I answered.

"Gwen chose to date Kevin because he cared about her and vice versa," he said.

"I allowed her to be captured and I can't let that happen again," I said.

"Then protect her, show that you really do care about her. I've seen the way she looks at you. She loves you," he said.

"You're right." I left the mansion and rushed up to Sylvia. "I should've apologised for what I said a day ago," I said.

"It's all right," Sylvia said.

We then hold hands. "I was thinking about last night, in Central Park," I said.

"That was a bit of an awkward moment, but I do care about you and I'm proud to be your girlfriend," Sylvia said.

We left the house together as we kissed. Meanwhile, onboard a spaceship, Lord Zero wakes up to find himself onboard the ship. Black Knight walks up to him as he stands up. "I see your awake, Lord Zero," Black Knight said.

"Who are you?" A sludge type monster craws up to him. "Sludge, it's been a while," Lord Zero said.

"I see you're acquainted with Sludge, a member of the Gauntlet's rogues gallery." Eon then enters the room. "It's an honour to meet you in Sebastian or should I say Lord Zero," Eon said.

"Eon, I thought Tennyson finished you off, but it looks like the reports of your death were exaggerated," he said.

"Indeed, as for where you are, you're onboard my personal ship, the Hyperion. The most advanced warship from the fifty first century," Eon said.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"I'm offering you the opportunity to exact your revenge on the Guardians and to be part of something bigger. To be part of the League," Eon answered.

"The League?" he asked.

"A collective of the some multiverse's known super criminals. All of them have a particular grudge against a member of the Guardians," Eon answered.

"By joining you, you must want something in return," he said.

"You're correct; I and my benefactor are collecting fragments to an ancient artefact known as the Star of Okath. Help me fide them and you will get your revenge against Solaris and Dr. Nexus," Eon said.

"I've seen promises like this before. Something tells me this is different, I'm in," he said.

"Excellent, Black Knight, Sludge, give our newest member a tour around the ship," Eon said.

"You going to love all of the toys we got," Black Knight said.

They left the ship as Seth enters the room. "He could be a problem," Seth said.

"I know, but I will eye on him," Eon said.

"Now that Khyber has been taken care of, it's time to move onto the next objective. Once the fragments are collected and the star reforged. Its useless without a power source. There is one item that can power it and that the Arc Cube," Seth said.

"Otherwise known as the Infinity Cube, myths say the cube contains a unlimited amount of power. The cube was broken into six pieces I believe," Eon said.

"Correct and thanks to some detective work, we've located the first piece. It's in Ledger Domain," he said.

"I'll head there with my forces at once," Eon said.

Eon opens a portal behind him and he walks through. Back on Earth, a man runs into an alleyway. He stops; he gets his dictation machine out and speaks to it. "This is the journal of Alonso Juarez. For twenty years, I have explored the vast corners of every parallel Earth and every multiverse ever since I found the artefact. It also brought me unwanted attention from a clandestine group known as the Sliders. I've spent my entire life evading capture, but I'm afraid my time is running. An Elder One has been set free and I got the feeling the worst is yet to come. My journals have scattered across time and space. Hopefully someone should find and decipher their meaning. Until then, I'll keep running," Alonso said.

He stops recording and he takes the tape out. He gets a time capsule out and he places the tape in the capsule. He opens a time portal and throws the capsule into the portal. The portal closes just as he leaves the alleyway. Knowing that there are worst things to come.

The End?


End file.
